Dubbing as a Formal Interference: Reflections and Examples

Abstract

In this chapter I discuss the theoretical issues and the aesthetic consequences of dubbing, both in general – when the translation is faithful and the dubbing is a good one – and in peculiarly bad cases – when either the translation or the dubbing, or both, are inaccurate. Dubbing is widely used in European countries such as Germany, France, the ex-Soviet countries and Italy. Being a film scholar with a specialization in Hollywood cinema, I am used to watching Hollywood films in their original versions. Being a native Italian speaker, I cannot help but noticing the differences between the original films and the Italian dubbed versions. Inaccurate translations and bad dubbing can severely harm the film's original meaning on the one hand, and lead to aesthetics changes on the other– e.g., an actor's persona or a character's characterization can be modified if dubbed with a voice that is radically different from the original. The case of Marilyn Monroe is exemplary: the Italian dubbing was designed to make her sound definitely more stupid than in the original version – by changing her dialogue, and by choosing a more “goose-like” voice timbre and tone.